CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. -- A 13-year-old girl was bitten Tuesday while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, but rescuers were unsure what kind of marine animal caused the deep lacerations to her right wrist and forearm.

The girl, whom Carolina Beach officials did not name, was vacationing with her family from Severn, Md. She was bitten while she swam at about 5 p.m. near the Ocean Boulevard beach access point, police said.

She was treated at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C. Carolina Beach officials planned to check with the girl's family and doctors Wednesday for more information that could determine what caused her injuries, town spokeswoman Valita Quattlebaum said.

"I was wondering if it was a jellyfish, or what happened to her," said Lisa Thomas, who told WECT-TV in Wilmington that she saw what she said was a shark. "Then we went back up on the deck and you could see it. You could see the shark. It was going up along the shore here, surfacing. Everybody was just following it down the beach."

"We had just gotten here, so I did not realize someone had been bit," said Beverly Hall, who saw what she said was a shark in the water. "That's not a good feeling."

Town officials also planned a meeting with lifeguards to see if there was any measure that should be taken to protect swimmers, Quattlebaum said.

The surf was alive with several marine species that could be responsible for the girl's bite due to the warm water temperatures, police said.